Giuliani Confronts String of Bad News

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks at a Republican fundraiser in Newport Beach, Calif., in this March 24, 2007, file photo. Giuliani's campaign has confronted a spate of bad news in the last week, from the drug indictment of his South Carolina chairman Thomas Ravenel to criticism for skipping meetings of the Iraq study group. (AP Photo/Mark Avery) (Mark Avery - Associated Press)

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani has confronted a spate of bad news in recent days, from the drug indictment of his South Carolina chairman to criticism for skipping meetings of the Iraq Study Group.

Every campaign faces bad news at one time or another, but with a fundraising deadline looming Saturday, the timing couldn't be worse. Most voters are not tuned in, but for those who are giving and raising money for the former New York mayor, the heartburn-inducing headlines may make them think twice.

The string of events _ some Giuliani's making, some out of his hands _ comes as national polls continue to show him ahead of his rivals, but surveys in early voting states have him trailing or losing ground.

Unannounced candidate Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney outpace Giuliani in a Nevada poll released this week. Romney had the edge in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Giuliani's campaign, seeking to reassure his supporters, sent out a memo Friday contending that he still is well-positioned to win the Republican nomination for president.

"While the race has tightened and our campaign has been challenged, we continue to lead in public opinion polling and we are now a better-defined campaign than when this race began in February," said the memo written by Giuliani strategy director Brent Seaborn.

How Giuliani responds is a critical measure of his campaign, said GOP strategist Rich Galen.

"The test is how well he holds up in those periods every campaign has when things go badly," Galen said. "The Giuliani campaign has kept their eyes faced frontward. The secret is to keep the campaign moving forward."

Galen's son is a deputy campaign manager for McCain.

Among Giuliani's woes:

_Giuliani's South Carolina chairman, state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel, was indicted on federal cocaine charges last week and stepped down from Giuliani's campaign. Ravenel's 80-year-old father, Arthur, remains regional chairman for the southeastern part of the state.

_Giuliani drew criticism last week for failing to attend official meetings of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel that unanimously called for gradual troop reductions in Iraq. Giuliani said he quit the panel after two months because it didn't seem that he could keep it focused on "a bipartisan, nonpolitical resolution." However, Newsday reported that instead of attending two meetings, Giuliani was at paid speaking engagements.